Buoy for building a floating platform

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a buoy for building a floating platform. The buoy includes a plurality of wave-like sides each for engagement with one of the wave-like sides of another buoy, four lugs each between two of the wave-like sides in order to receive a pin, a top and a rough bottom for dissipating impacts from waves.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a floating platform and, moreparticularly, to a buoy for building a floating platform.

2. Related Prior Art

As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,033,151, a floating platform 20 includesa plurality of buoys 21. Each buoy 21 is made with a substantially cubicconfiguration including a top, a bottom, four wave-like sides and fourlugs 212 each between two wave-like sides. Each wave-like side includesalternate valleys 213 and ridges 214. When a buoy 21 is put againstanother buoy 21, a wave-like side of the former is engaged with awave-like side of the latter. A pin 22 is inserted in four lugs 212 offour buoys 21 so that the buoys 21 are connected to one another. Theengagement of the wave-like sides of the buoys 21 reduces burdens on thepin 22 and the lugs 212. A problem has however been encountered in theuse of the buoys 21. The bottom of each buoy 21 is flat so that it takesimpacts from waves without dissipation. If the floating platform 20 ismade of a few buoys 21, it will fluctuate fiercely on water when thewaves come. People and things would be tossed on the floating platform20.

The present invention is therefore intended to obviate or at leastalleviate the problems encountered in prior art.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

According to the present invention, there is provided a buoy forbuilding a floating platform. The buoy includes a plurality of sides, atop and a rough bottom for dissipating impacts from waves, thusimproving the stability of the buoy on water.

The primary advantage of the buoy according to the present invention isits ability to dissipate impacts from waves.

Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the present inventionwill become more apparent from the following detailed descriptionreferring to the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a buoy according to a first embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a buoy according to a second embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a buoy according to a third embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a buoy according to a fourth embodimentof the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the buoy shown in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a buoy 10A according to a firstembodiment of the present invention. The buoy 10A includes fourwave-like sides 11, four lugs 12 each between two wave-like sides 11, atop 13 and a bottom 14.

When a buoy 10A is put against another buoy 10A, a wave-like side 11 ofthe former will be engaged with a wave-like side 11 of the latter, thushelping them stay against each other.

Each lug 12 defines an aperture 121 in which a pin (not shown) can beinserted. The pin can be inserted in the apertures 121 of four lugs 12of four buoys 10A, thus interconnecting the buoys 10A.

Like what happens in the prior art, the burdens on the pin are reducedby means of the engagement of the wave-like sides 11 with one another inthe present invention.

The top 13 defines four sector-like recesses 132 each above a lug 12.Four sector-like recesses 132 of four buoys 10A define a circular recessfor receiving a head of the pin. The top 13 includes an anti-slip patter131, thus reducing the possibility that a person takes a slip on it.

The bottom 14 includes a cruciform area 141 of alternate valleys andridges and a plurality of bosses 142 in areas separated by the cruciformarea 141 of alternate valleys. Thus, the bottom 14 can dissipate impactsfrom waves. A floating platform made of the buoys 10A, large or small,will fluctuate mildly when the waves come. Hence, human activities andplacing of things will not be tossed on the platform.

The cruciform area 141 may be replaced with another radial area inanother embodiment. For example, it may be replaced with a six-branchedarea if the bottom 14 is hexagonal.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown a buoy 10B according to a secondembodiment of the present invention. The second embodiment is identicalto the first embodiment except that the bottom 14 includes severalplateaus 15 instead of the cruciform area 141 of alternate valleys andridges and the bosses 142.

Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a buoy 10C according to a thirdembodiment of the present invention. The third embodiment is identicalto the first embodiment except two things. Firstly, on the bottom 14,there are several wave-like ridges 16 instead of the area 141 and thebosses 142. The wave-like ridges 16 are located evenly. Secondly, on thetop 13, there is a cruciform groove 17 instead of the anti-slip pattern131. Wires and pipes (not shown) can be put in the cruciform groove 17.Therefore, the wires and pipes can be used on a floating platform madeof the buoys 10C without hindering human activities.

The cruciform groove 17 may be replaced with another radial groove inanother embodiment. For example, it may be replaced with a six-branchedgroove if the top 13 is hexagonal.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, there is shown a buoy 10D according to afourth embodiment of the present invention. The fourth embodiment isidentical to the first embodiment except several things. Firstly, on thebottom 14, there are several well-like ridges 18 instead of the area 141and the bosses 142. The well-like ridges 18 are co-centric. Secondly, onthe top 13, there are a cavity 19 and a cruciform groove 191 in thefloor of the cavity 19 instead of the anti-slip pattern 131. Like thecruciform groove 17, the cruciform groove 191 can receive wires andpipes. Thirdly, there is an additional cover 20 put in the cavity 19 inorder to cover the cruciform groove 191. An anti-slip pattern 21 isformed on the cover 20. The anti-slip pattern 21 is similar to theanti-slip pattern 131.

The cruciform groove 191 may be replaced with another radial groove inanother embodiment. For example, it may be replaced with a six-branchedgroove if the top 13 is hexagonal.

The buoy according to the present invention exhibits an advantage overthe conventional buoy discussed in the Related Prior Art, i.e., itsability to dissipate the impacts from the waves. Thus, a floating madeof the buoys of the present invention, large or small, will fluctuatemildly when the waves come.

The present invention has been described via detailed illustration ofsome embodiments. Those skilled in the art can derive variations fromthe embodiments without departing from the scope of the presentinvention. Therefore, the embodiments shall not limit the scope of thepresent invention defined in the claims.

1. A buoy for building a floating platform, the buoy comprising aplurality of sides, a top and a rough bottom for dissipating impactsfrom waves, thus improving the stability of the buoy on water.
 2. Thebuoy according to claim 1 wherein the buoy is made from a thermoplasticmaterial.
 3. The buoy according to claim 1 wherein the rough bottomcomprises a radial area of alternate valleys and ridges.
 4. The buoyaccording to claim 3 wherein the rough bottom comprises a plurality ofbosses in areas thereof separated by the radial area of alternatevalleys and ridges.
 5. The buoy according to claim 1 wherein the roughbottom comprises a plurality of bosses.
 6. The buoy according to claim 1wherein the rough bottom comprises a plurality of wave-like ridges. 7.The buoy according to claim 6 wherein the wave-like ridges are locatedevenly.
 8. The buoy according to claim 1 wherein the rough bottomcomprises a plurality of well-like ridges.
 9. The buoy according toclaim 8 wherein the well-like ridges are co-centric.
 10. The buoyaccording to claim 1 wherein the top comprises an anti-slip pattern. 11.The buoy according to claim 1 comprising four lugs each between two ofthe sides in order to receive a pin.
 12. The buoy according to claim 1wherein the top comprises a radial groove for receiving elongatedobjects.
 13. The buoy according to claim 1 comprising a cover forcovering elongated objects on the top, wherein the top comprises acavity for receiving the cover and a radial groove in the floor of thecavity in order to receive the elongated objects.
 14. The buoy accordingto claim 13, wherein the cover comprises an anti-slip pattern.
 15. Thebuoy according to claim 1 wherein the sides are wave-like sides each forengagement with one of the wave-like sides of another buoy.